The lab group eager to "get to work" in October of 2019.
Jay Sobel, PhD - principal investigator
I am broadly interested in the ecological and genetic basis of adaptation and speciation, and I primarily use the emerging model plant genus Mimulus to answer questions about these fundamental processes. I received my dual-major PhD at Michigan State University from the Department of Plant Biology (MSU-PlantBio) and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior Program (MSU-EEBB). I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oregon in the Institute for Ecology and Evolution (UO-IE^2).
Irene Martinez, PhD Student
I received my BS in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston, where I worked with Dr. Jessica M. Labonté assembling and characterizing the transcriptome for the fireworm Paramphinome jeffreysii. I am a second year PhD student interested in the genetic basis of postzygotic barriers in Mimulus. Outside of the lab, I enjoy listening to music, reading good books, and watching my Houston Astros win.
Rachel Kruger, PhD Student
I am a first-year PhD student in the Sobel lab. In 2021 I earned an MS here at Binghamton University in Dr. Matt Parker’s lab where I studied the evolution of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in response to the invasion of a novel host legume into North America. In 2016 I graduated from Hartwick College with a BA in biology. Currently I am studying seed dispersal traits of Mimulus dudleyi in habitats of varying connectivity. Outside of the lab I enjoy hiking, going to concerts, and taking photographs.
Josh Knecht, PhD Student
I received my BS in plant science from Cornell University. During college, I worked with Dr. Elson Shields researching the use of insect-attacking nematodes to control Alfalfa Snout Beetle in northern New York. Since graduating, I have mostly worked as a carpenter—with minor excursions into farming, horse logging, and commercial construction. Wanting to work with plants, I got a job in the Cornell Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics where I worked on potato, alfalfa, and cereal breeding projects. My time there convinced me I wanted to pursue plant research, which is what led me to Binghamton to study evolution in Mimulus. Outside the lab, I like to go on hikes with my family and pretend to be a Botanist.